A STRIKING PROPOSITION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 905, 26 August 1910, Page 8

A STRIKING PROPOSITION.

:•. \ . STATE MILK, TESTS. ; (By Telegraph-Special Reporter.). • ' Palmerston North, August 25". "'."At a meeting -of tlie suppliers..of ,tho. Hawke's Bay -Dairy Company at Woodr ville,'to-day, a' move was made •in 1 the. direction of having all milk-testing done by. State officials. The company is.a .proprietary' concern,. and the principal Bpeaker at, tho meeting was Mr. J.. B. '.VealeV. one:. of the proprietors. '.AVhenspeaking of tho effect which might bo obtained by. understating the milk test, ho' blackboardod the following tabulation:'— ■■' ."- i". .:■..-■".:■•'

Milk; - - Test. Fat;.--' Price. , Value. IOOOIb. ' 3.8 -381b. . lOd. ..J3l 11-8! •10001b; 3.7 ' '371b. 10Jd. .£lll H 10001b. ,3.6 30lb. . 10M. ■ -il 11- 6 10001b. ■'■: 3.5 351b. 10Jd. JCI IV i\ 10001b. :'' 3.4 311b. 'lid. .£112'2

..He said that if the other factories irerc .Trilling to do likewise, his company, .was willing to" contribute a portion of. tjhc cost of erecting a laboratory for the use of every factory within fifteen miles of it, in "which laboratory the testing would be done by a Government tester, paid by 'the State, and controlled by tho Department. ' Mr. Teale read the following frora a letter from the' Dairy Commissioner (_Mr., D. Cuddie), replying to a communication on 1 .the' subject:— ;.

"The question'of payment to milk . ■:-suppliers by the'different companies ' is, to my niiud, one of the most . difficult problems-connected .with the industry, and J.quite agree with:.you 'that the: price' paid out for,butter , ./fat is not in all cases a'true" indict ■ tion of what the farmers. are receiv- :.': ing for- their .milk,' because' it is Jan • '"■- easy matter to so arrange the-;testing'. '': that the price/paid.for butter-fat may appear to'.be .higher,'while-'.the actual '■' results, (if.one. could get at - them) ... would show ' the -opposite to' be the .'.case. In other words,': it is an easy matter to-pay'.out:.a big-price for uv portion of the fat. in .the'.milk. '-. agree'with 'you that the amount paid . out for, the commercial butter is,the, , real teat of what, the milk-suppliers /"■ ; actually receive.. If -1 . thought. that -.'"■ wo..'could .assist:, by ...advocating. the independent testing of milk through- , -out the country, I would be.quito ; willing to do. so;, but. I feel quite - ■', certain -that such a scheme would.not -, receive the support of- the dairy people '.. and, therefore,, it would be a waste. ./of'time to attempt to.force it on them/, I do not thinkH.that we can do any\ "more than we. have .done in tho past, and that is..to'.''send a man.to check .the testing; where disputes arise. "This'. -.we are at all times,. willing to' d 0.''.,.. -On'the motion:of the chairman of the, meeting ,(Mr.- B.- it was'reeolved: .."That, this meeting-is. in .favour•of the recommendation - made by'.' the .'directors of the Hawko's : Bay Dairy' Company that the testing of 'all. milk should pe,.undertaken by ;a::Government official,-: and ?'• thai.'.' legislation; should be .enacted to provide, for,.this.being done". :It was decided: to'.furnish, the. member 'for the 'district : .with .'a - copy ofv- the ..resolution;,